15 August in Indian and World History is celebrated, observed, and remembered for various reasons.15 August is the birth anniversary of Aurobindo Ghosh, Ustad Amir Khan, Hans Kumar Tiwari, Rakhi Gulzar, and KM Beenamol.
15 August is also observed as the death anniversary of Mahadev Haribhai Desai, Chaudhary Ajit Singh, and Amarsinh Chaudhary.
Birth Anniversary on 15 August
15 August in Indian history is celebrated as the birth anniversary of the following personalities:
Aurobindo Ghosh (15 August 1872 – 5 December 1950), The original name is Aurobindo Ghosh but is also known as Aurobindo. There have been many great revolutionaries and yogis in India in modern times, Aurobindo Ghosh is unique among them. Aurobindo Ghosh was a poet and Indian nationalist who propounded the philosophy of universal salvation through spiritual development. Some consider him a new addition to the Rishi tradition (saint tradition) of India. Shri Arvind claims that India is playing a constructive role in the world in this era and will continue to do so in the future also. His philosophy covers all aspects of life. He has also expressed his views on many important subjects, such as culture, nationalism, politics, socialism, etc. His works have become famous in the field of literature, especially poetry. He wrote many books example Essays on Gita (1928), The Life Divine (1940), Collected Poems and Plays (1942), The Synthesis of Yoga (1948), The Human Cycle (1949), The Ideal of Human Unity (1949), A Legend and a Symbol (1950) and On the Veda (1956). He was born on 5 August 1872 in Kolkata.
Ustad Amir Khan (15 August 1912 – 13 February 1974) was a famous Indian classical music singer. Ustad Amir Khan was awarded the Padma Bhushan in the year 1971 by the Government of India in the field of arts. Spirituality, Dhrupad, and Khayal are found in this distinctive style of the Indore Gharana. Ustad Amir Khan stunned everyone by bringing a kind of “edge” to the “exciting rhythm”. This progression was later introduced into the Sargam, tana, bol-taken, including the merukhandi organ, and finally the madhyalay or fast rhythm, Chhota khayal, or rubber Tarana. He himself has written many compositions under the name of ‘Sur Rang’. Amir Khan popularized Tarana. He used Jhumra and Ektaal in his singing, and he used to ask for a simple contract from the tabla player who gave the accompaniment. There was no princely thought or encouragement in his singing style, but there is a quietness in his style, which makes it easy to know that he was actually a Sufi until the end. Ustad Amir Khan spiritually associated himself with the family of Amir Khusrau, Ustad Amir Khan was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1967 and Padma Bhushan in 1971 for his remarkable contribution to the field of music. He was Born on 15 August 1912 in Madhya Pradesh.
Hans Kumar Tiwari (15 August 1918 – 14 July 1986) is a famous litterateur. The first achievement of his literary practice was the publication of a book called ‘Kala’ in the year 1938. This was his first attempt in the field of criticism. Apart from being a freelance writer, Tiwari was also a successful journalist and editor. In 1951, he was appointed as the Official Language Officer of the Government of Bihar. He retired while working in the same position. His primary education was done in Bengal itself in the Bengali language, then in Nanihal. Due to the burden of the family on their shoulders in adolescence, in the year 1934, the sequence of his studies was broken in the middle. He was Born on 15 August 1918 in Kolkata.
Rakhi Gulzar is a famous Indian Hindi film actress. He made cine lovers crazy with his acting in the seventies and eighties. Her childhood name was ‘Rakhi Majumdar’ which changed after marriage to ‘Rakhi Gulzar’. Rakhi got her first double role in Bollywood in 1971 in the film ‘Sharm eely’. In this film, he acted with Shashi Kapoor and Dharmendra. In 1971, he had two films ‘Lal Patthar’ and ‘Paras’, in which Rakhi played the lead role. Both these films got a lot of success and after these films, Rakhi became one of the most beautiful actresses in Bollywood. He was honoured with ‘Padma Shri’ in 2003 and Filmfare thrice and National Award twice for his outstanding contribution to films. Rakhi left her husband Gulzar after some time of marriage, due to which Rakhi had to work in the film ‘Kabhi Kabhi’ (1976) without informing Gulzar and Gulzar did not want Rakhi to work in films after marriage. Angered by this, Rakhi left Gulzar’s house forever. Although both have not divorced each other till now, definitely live separately, at that time their daughter Meghna was only one year old. She was Born on 15 August 1947 in Kolkata.
KM Beenamol is a famous female athlete from India who has brought laurels to the country by receiving several awards in running. His full name is ‘Kalyathusukhi Mathews’. His name came into the limelight when he won two gold and one silver medal in the Busan Asian Games to be held in October 2002. Beenamol won the gold medal in the 800 meters race. Apart from this, he also won a gold medal in the relay race of 400 meters. In the 4×400 meter race, Been Amol brought glory to the sports world by winning a silver medal. He was given the ‘Rajiv Gandhi Khel Award’ for the year 2002-2003 and was awarded the ‘Padma Shri’ in 2004. She was Born on 15 August 1975 in Kerala.
Read More: 13 August in Indian and World History
Death Anniversary on 15 August
15 August in Indian history is observed as the death anniversary of the following personalities:
Mahadev Hari Bhai Desai (1 January 1892 – 15 August 1942), was a famous freedom fighter. He was a trusted secretary of the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi. Mahadev Desai participated in Champaran Satyagraha, Bardoli Satyagraha, and Salt Satyagraha, and during this time he was arrested. He was a lover of mathematics and texts like Ramayana, Mahabharata, Gita. Later she became the principal of the Women’s Training College, Ahmedabad. The qualities of the father had a complete effect on Mahadev Bhai. He pursued higher education in Mumbai and obtained a law degree in 1913. After this, he practised for a few days but did not get much success in it. Then he continued to work in a government bank for some time, but seeing the irregularities and running around there, left him too. He died on 15 August 1942.
Chaudhary Ajit Singh (12 February 1939 – 6 May 2021) was an Indian politician. He was the son of former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh. He was the Agriculture Minister of India, and he was the Minister of Civil Aviation in the UPA government at the Centre from 2011. He was the President of Rashtriya Lok Dal for a long time. He was also an elected MP from Bagh pat in Uttar Pradesh. He died of Kovid-19 in Gurugram on 6 May 2021. He worked in the US computer industry for 17 years and returned to India in the early 1980s to revive the Lok Dal. Lok Dal is a party formed by his father that mainly follows a large section of the farmers. He died on 15 August 1939.
Amar Singh Chaudhary (31 July 1941 – 15 August 2004) was an Indian National Congress politician. He was the former eighth Chief Minister of Gujarat. Amassing Chaudhary was the Chief Minister of Gujarat from 6 July 1985 to 9 December 1989. In the 1972 Lok Sabha elections, Amar Singh Chaudhary got a Congress ticket from the Vyara reserved seat of Surat. In front was PK of Congress (O). Nagjibhai Chowdhary. Amar Singh Chaudhary won this election by 15351 votes. Congress got 140 seats out of 168 in the state. Ghanshyambhai Ojha was made the new Chief Minister. Amar Singh Chaudhary got the minister’s chair for the first time as soon as he became an MLA. Being an engineer, he was made Minister of State in the Ministry of Dam Affairs. During the Jagannath Yatra in Ahmedabad in 1985 and 1986, there were fierce riots. In such a situation, instead of banning the journey in 1987, he allowed it. The yatra took place without any violence under heavy police arrangements. Amar Singh Chaudhary started the ‘Old Age Pension Scheme. He was the first tribal chief minister of Gujarat. He died on 15 August 2004.
Read More: 12 August in Indian and World History
Notable events on 15 August in Indian and World History
Some of the Notable events on 15 August in World History are mentioned below:
15 August 1772 – The East India Company decided to separate civil and criminal courts in different districts.
15 August 1855 – The East India Railway ran the first passenger train from Calcutta (now Kolkata) to Hooghly in 1854.
15 August 1865 – Louisa Aldrich-Blake a pioneering surgeon and one of the first British women, was born.
15 August 1892 – Louis de Broglie a French physicist, and Nobel Prize Laureate, was born.
15 August 1895 – Ignacio Anaya GarcÃa was a Mexican maître d’ who is credited with inventing the popular Tex-Mex dish known as nachos, was born.
15 August 1896 – Gerty Cori, a Swiss physical chemist, and Nobel Prize Laureate, was born
15 August 1907 – Indian Bank – was established on 15 August as part of the Swadeshi Movement.
15 August 1907 – Carmen Conde Abellán achieved prominence as a Spanish poet, narrative writer, and educator, was born.
15 August 1924 – Ramdarash Mishra, an Indian poet and litterateur, was born.
15 August 1931 – Richard F. Heck, an American chemist, and Nobel Prize Laureate, was born.
15 August 1936 – Grazia Deledda, an Italian writer, and Nobel Prize Laureate, died
15 August 1945 – National Liberation Day of Korea is associated with the historic announcement made on August 15, 1945, when Japan declared its unconditional surrender.
15 August 1945 – Melhim Barakat or Abou Majd a highly regarded Lebanese singer, was born.
15 August 1947 – Yugvani (Magazine) – Monthly magazine published from Dehradun (Uttarakhand). It was initially published as a fortnightly newspaper, which later became the main weekly newspaper of the mountain.
15 August 1947 – Independence Day – India got independence from the British on this day.
15 August 1947 – Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru took oath as the first Prime Minister of independent India.
15 August 1947 – Defence Gallantry Awards – Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra, and Vir Chakra were instituted.
15 August 1950 – In India 20 to 30 thousand people died due to an earthquake of magnitude 8.6.
15 August 1967 – René Magritte a Belgian surrealist artist known for his depictions of familiar objects in unfamiliar, unexpected contexts, which often provoked questions about the nature and boundaries of reality and representation – died.
15 August 1979 – Faridabad became the 12th district of Haryana on this day.
15 August 1982 – The national program of nationwide colour broadcasting and TV was inaugurated in Delhi.
15 August 1982 – Hugo Theorell, a Swedish scientist and Nobel Prize laureate in medicine.
15 August 1990 – The Akash surface-to-air missile was successfully launched in 1990.
15 August 1999 –  Olga Orozco, Argentine poet and writer, died.
15 August 2004 – Lara became the fastest batsman to score 10,000 runs on this day.
15 August 2004 – Sune Bergstrom, a Swedish biochemist, and Nobel Prize Laureate, died.
15 August 2008 – On the occasion of Independence Day, President Pratibha Patil unveiled the statue of freedom fighter Shaheed Bhagat Singh in Parliament House Complex.
15 August Historical Significance
The 15th of August holds a profound place in Indian history as it marks the day when India gained independence from British colonial rule in 1947. This day is celebrated as Independence Day across the nation. It commemorates the nation’s struggle for freedom, which was achieved after a long and non-violent resistance movement led by figures like Mahatma Gandhi. The significance of this day is further heightened by the fact that it also marks the partition of British India into two countries, India and Pakistan, which led to massive migration and conflict. The day is observed with patriotic fervor, flag-hoisting ceremonies, and cultural programs throughout India, reflecting the unity and diversity of the country’s rich heritage.
Important Days of 15 August in History
Some of the Notable events on 15 August in History are mentioned below:
- India’s Independence Day is celebrated every year on 15 August. On this day in 1947, the residents of India got independence from British rule. It is the national festival of India. The day is celebrated all over India with flag hoisting ceremonies, parades, and cultural events. Indians celebrate this day by displaying the national flag on their dress, belongings, homes, and vehicles and watching patriotic movies, and listening to patriotic songs with family and friends.
- National Day of mourning (Bangladesh): Observed to remember those who lost their lives in various tragic events throughout the nation’s history.
- Victory over Japan Day (UK): Marks the day on which Imperial Japan surrendered in World War II, in effect ending the war.
- Day of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary (Observed by several countries): A Christian feast day celebrating the belief in the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into Heaven.
- National Liberation Day of Korea is a significant public holiday observed annually on the 15th of August in both South and North Korea.
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